


The Stowaway

by chaotic_netural



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Fire Nation (Avatar), Firebending & Firebenders, Fluff, Self-Insert, Waterbending & Waterbenders, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-01
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:21:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 15,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25021591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaotic_netural/pseuds/chaotic_netural
Summary: A young waterbender with a curious backstory runs into the Gaang while stowing away on a Fire Nation ship. Deciding to join the Gaang, Rin will encounter adventures and relationships she never expected.
Relationships: Zuko (Avatar)/Original Female Character(s), Zuko (Avatar)/Reader
Comments: 10
Kudos: 79





	1. The Stowaway

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! This is my first time writing fanfiction so please don't hesitate to leave feedback in the comments! Also, it's been a while since I've written non-essay type stuff, so if the grammar is a little wonky with the dialogue that's why. I'm planning on this being a work with more chapters of course and I'll try to update as frequently as possible! The first bit will be a little bit of an info dump on the main character's backstory, as well as some building up, but don't worry, it is still a Zuko x reader fic ;) There might be some light swearing later in the story, but nothing intense. I think those are enough disclaimers, so please enjoy!  
> (I do not own or claim to own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters)

A pain shot up my back to my neck. It had been hours since I dared to move. _“Either these guys drank too much during dinner or pirates are attacking the ship again,”_ I thought to myself. In the dark and dank cellar, all I could see were barrels of various exports like gunpowder, coal, and blasting jelly, illuminated by a small, metal oil lamp I took from home. I slowly pulled myself up from my hunched position and reached for the flask next to me, holding my weapon. Just in case someone came down here during all the noise upstairs, I had to be ready. But eventually, the noises died down. As I was about to return to my post in the corner, I heard a young girl’s voice on the deck. _“That’s weird,”_ I thought. There weren’t any females in the crew, let alone young girls.

“There’s someone down below!” came the voice again.

I heard the drumming of feet, about 2 or 3 people, I would guess. Bracing myself for a fight, I got into a waterbending stance, arms at the ready. As the door slammed open, I saw three figures. They immediately noticed my lamp on the floor. _“Shoot, there goes the element of surprise, idiot.”_ I scolded myself. I emerged from the shadows and lowered myself to my knees, hands held in front of me, watching the three people; 2 young girls and a man behind them.

“I know when I’m outnumbered. I surrender.” I muttered, not meaning it. As the older of the two girls stepped towards me, I made my move. In a flick of my wrists, I drew what little water I had left in my flask to splash the three as best I could, giving me a diversion to dash up the stairs and make it to the deck. To my horror, it was crawling with foreign-looking soldiers. In a panic, I scanned the ship for possible escape routes. But before I could react, I felt a sharp blow to the back of my head and sensed myself loose consciousness. 

My vision blurred, I started to blink my eyes open.

“Great job Sokka, you knocked out a waterbender. She wasn’t with the crew, she must’ve been a stowaway!” I heard a girl say.

_Who’s Sokka? Where am I?_

“Do you blame me? For we know she might be a Fire Nation spy here to kill Aang. I mean, are you _sure_ it was waterbending?”

 _Fire Nation_. I was more awake now, but still trying to get my bearings. It didn’t seem like the two next to me noticed. _Wait, no, there’s another person in here. That younger girl I saw._

“I might be blind, but I know when I’m soaking wet, Sokka. Your friend’s awake now, by the way.”

_How did she know that, didn’t she just say she was blind?_

I was snapped back to reality by the blunt feeling of something pressing under my chin. As my eyes blinked open, I saw it was a sheathed sword. At the other end were two teenagers, one of them the same girl that I saw yesterday on the ship. _The ship! Where am I? Who are these people? What happened?_

Frantic, I started pulling myself up in the bed I was in. “Who are you? What do you want?” I demanded.

“We should be asking you the same thing,” the boy with the sword said. “What are you, a Fire Nation spy sent to kill Aang?”

“Who’s Aang?” I asked.

“Oh, nice try, ‘Who’s Aang?’ you know exactly who he is you filth-“ The boy was cut off by the girl standing next to him.  
“Maybe if you would let her speak, we’d get some answers,” she said, pushing him aside. “Hi, my name’s Katara. I’m a waterbender too!” I could see her eyes sparkle.

“Stop fraternizing with the enemy! You can’t just tell her your name and powers!” the one called Sokka protested.

“Shut up for once in your life, she isn’t the enemy!” Katara exclaimed. “You aren’t with the Fire Nation, right?” She asked.

“Of course not,” you replied. “I’m a waterbender stowing away in the storage room of a cargo ship, not a firebender.”

“Oh yeah? Well show me some waterbending, just to prove it,” huffed Sokka.

Gladly, you complied, pulling water from the glass on the bedside table and dousing the boy in the water, making him soaked. He slinked away, grumbling about “ _stupid benders and their magic water_ ”.

After we finished laughing at the sight of a teenager acting like a cat who got sprayed with water, Katara faced me again. “Even though I trust you, we’ll have to ask you some questions. But first, stand up, if you’re strong enough. I pulled myself up out of the bed and took a look at the room, decorated in fire nation emblems.

“Ok, so, first question, why are you here, on this ship?”

I answered truthfully. “I’m a stowaway. I lived in a Fire Nation colony in the Earth Kingdom, but I got caught practicing waterbending and had to flee before the guards caught me.”

I noticed the two girls exchange a glance and the shorter, blind one gave a nod to the older waterbender. “Ok, so, how did a waterbender like you end up in the Earth Kingdom? Are you a refugee?”

“Not quite. I don’t really like to talk about it, it’s kind of unbelievable,” my cheeks flushed.

“Trust me, we’ve seen some unbelievable stuff,” said the blind girl. “Go ahead, 10 gold coins say it wouldn’t be the craziest thing we’ve heard.”

“Well,” I started to explain. “I can’t remember it well, but I used to live in a southern water tribe. We were very small, and far away from other tribes. We didn’t stand a chance against the Fire Nation, and when they realized I was a bender, they kidnapped me.”

Katara looked at me with an empathetic look in her eyes, encouraging me to continue.

“I was put on a Fire Nation ship when I was only 2 or 3 years old. When they stopped to get supplies at an Earth Kingdom port, an earth bender battalion managed to ambush the guards and take the youngest of us with them. Don’t ask me how, I don’t know. But anyway, they gave me to an Earth Kingdom family and they raised me like their own.” I felt silly after dumping my whole life’s story on these two random girls. _How stupid am I?_ Yet, to my shock, the girl next to me pulled me into a hug, telling me it was going to be ok.

_Well, I guess this is better than pirates._


	2. The Invasion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin joins the Gaang and, after enduring many adventures, will soon join the invasion during the Black Sun. In the aftermath, she meets a strange firebender who seems to have an interesting history with the Gaang.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi again! Thank you for the kudos in the last chapter. I can't promise daily updates like this, but I'll see what I can do moving forward! Hope you enjoy!

Toph was right; with this crowd, you get to see some pretty unbelievable stuff. Within the span of probably a week or two, we had a dance party, cleaned out a river, helped Sokka make a meteor sword, got chased by a Fire Nation assassin we called “Sparky Sparky Boom Man”, Toph started scamming other scammers from the street, and Aang got so tired he hallucinated a duel between Appa and Momo. But the craziest thing was yet to happen, because, on the day of the Black Sun, we were going to invade the Fire Nation.

“Mom! Dad!” I rushed to a familiar Earth Kingdom couple fresh off the Water Tribe boats. I gave them the biggest hug I could, our first since I fled the village almost a month ago.

“Rin!” My dad smiled, not letting go of me. “We were so worried about you!”

“You don’t know how happy we were to get your message. We’re glad you managed to run into such an amazing group!” My mother chimed in.

Reluctantly, I broke off the hug. “I’m so happy to see you guys too! Let me introduce you to everyone…”

Our reunion was cut short as Sokka (and later his dad, Hakoda) briefed everyone on the plan for the invasion. I was a waterbender, so I had a couple different assignments. First, we predicted we might get detected as we neared the gate, even after we produced a fog cover, so we had the submarines at the ready. All the waterbenders (except for Katara, who was in charge of riding Appa) had to use their bending to control the submarines, and when we landed, we fought with the earthbenders in the tanks.

The sight of the invasion was awesome- in the literal sense; it was awe-inspiring. There were incredible mechanical wonders on both sides, Sokka had really outdone himself. I fought like I never fought before, pushing back the Fire Nation troops with the other benders around me. It was truly an exhilarating experience, both terrifying and satisfying at the same time. But the satisfaction rapidly slipped away when we got the bad news.

_Fire Lord Ozai was not at the palace._

_And Aang couldn’t find him._

_And the eclipse had ended._

We figured out that the best solution was to surrender, letting the youngest of our battalion escape on Appa. It was a difficult goodbye between parents and children, friends, and family, but it was necessary.

Tears welling up in my tired eyes, I watched from the back of Appa as I saw the view of the cliffside my parents were on slowly dwindle until I couldn’t see them anymore. Not being able to see but not wanted the group to see my watering eyes, I rested my chin on the edge of the saddle and let my eyes close and let my mind drift into sleep.

I had awoken by the time we reached our destination, the Western Air Temple. It was a beautiful sight to behold, that’s for sure, but it would’ve looked better if we weren’t just returning from a resounding defeat. After unpacking all our things, half the group decided to explore the temple, but Katara held Aang back, telling him we needed to make a plan first. I decided to hang back too, I was too tired for exploring anyway.

My mind drifted in and out of focus as the conversation carried on without me. I knew that whatever guilt I was feeling was multiplied tenfold for Aang; the poor kid must’ve felt devastated after being defeated so soon after their failure in Ba Sing Se.

“Well, where am I supposed to find a firebending teacher?” asked Aang.

“Maybe we could look for Jeong Jeong!” Katara answered.

“Oh, sure, like we’ll ever run into Jeong Jeong again.”

“Who’s Jeong Jeong?” I asked, bewildered. After my question was glossed over by the argument going on, Toph answered me.

“Oh well, if he’s important we’ll find out.”

As Katara and Aang kept going back and forth, I rose from the rock I was sitting on to check what food we had with us. After rummaging around for a while, I came up with a pot, some tools, some rice, and some other various vegetables.

 _“That should be enough…”_ I thought to myself, not forgetting to factor in the extra mouths we had to feed. _I better remind Sokka to go fishing tomorrow so we have enough food for everyone._

With a thud, I heard Appa land onto the temple floor. They must have taken their fight to the air. A minute later, I heard a commotion where they had landed. Dashing over, water whip at the ready, I ran up to the rest of the group to face whateve-

Oh. It’s just a kid. A Fire Nation kid, but a kid regardless. He couldn’t have been older than me, and he didn’t seem like he was in an offensive stance. I lower my arms and returned to my normal standing position, observing the scene before me as it played out. The rest of the Gaang seemed quite agitated; well, everyone but Toph. Toph and I both joined the group a little later, so perhaps this kid was someone they had met before.

The kid finally spoke. “Hello, Zuko here!” 

Oh no. Was he- _that_ Zuko? The one the gang told me all about?

“We know who you are. You chased us all around the world, trying to kill Aang!”

Yep, it was that Zuko. “ _This’ll be interesting_.” I thought, tentatively raising my arm again.

I watched as this kid, Zuko, explained why he was here. He said he was good now, and that he wants to help the Avatar learn firebending. It was honestly pretty cute seeing him stumble through his little speech, like an awkward kid applying for a job for the first time. Unfortunately, the Gaang didn’t buy it and sent him away with a splashed face as a souvenir. After he left, Toph argued that they had just thrown away Aang’s only opportunity at getting a willing firebending teacher. She claimed that he was being genuine the whole time, and she could tell. I could tell I didn’t have a dog in this fight because I was fairly new to the group, so I returned to the pot where I started a fire and started to cook.

I tried to brush off the encounter we had earlier that day, but I just couldn’t. I couldn’t help but think about what Toph said, that he was being completely truthful. I decided that even if I couldn’t convince everyone to let Zuko into the group, I could at least help him out. I packed up some of our leftovers along with a flask of water and an extra blanket. 

Slowly but surely, I made my way back up the mountain to search for Zuko’s campsite. He couldn’t have gone far, in case they changed their minds. After a couple minutes of quiet searching, I spotting the glow of a campfire. _Bingo._ I pulled back the branches and stepped into the clearing, about to announce my presence when it happened.

Unbelievably hot and appalling pain shot up my leg. I cried out as I felt searing flames lick up my foot and leg- oh Agni, it hurt so incredibly bad. With a yelp of pain, I fell into the bushes, subsequently putting out the small fire forming around me. 

With a groan I dragged myself up, reaching for the water in my bag. Zuko moved forward and I shielded my face, prepared for another attack, but he was actually reaching for my flask to hand it to me. 

I hiked up my dress to reveal the burn marks that had crawled up my leg. Bending the water out of the container and onto my skin, I began to soothe the burns and heal them a bit. Once I finished, I used it to splash Zuko in the face.

“What in the world was that for?” I yelled, teary-eyed but trying to hide it. I watched as his eyes, wide in shock and horror at what he’d done, began to water a bit as well.

“I’m really sorry, I didn’t mean to, I thought you were someone else!”

“You know what? Save your breath. I’m going back to camp, and I better not see you again!” I tried to pull myself up but my leg crumpled underneath me as I fell to the ground again. Wincing in pain, I was about to try again when Zuko grabbed my arm.

“Stop, you’ll hurt yourself more if you try to leave now. Stay here for the night and get some rest.” He said, rather firmly.

I pulled away, still upset. “I’ll figure something out. I’m not going to stick around here just for you to try to attack me again.” I said, making another attempt to stand.

“Look, I’m really sorry, ok? I got scared, but I don’t want to hurt you. Please, just stay a while longer. It’s cold out there and the terrain is really rough, you’ll break a bone trying to get home. I’ll make some tea, it’s freezing tonight.”

I sighed and gave in, pulling myself to a stone next to the fire. It was a cold night, and the fire wasn’t completely unwelcome. As I warmed my hands on the fire, I watched Zuko carefully preparing the tea and pouring it out.

“I hope you like jasmine tea,” he said, offering a cup. “It’s all I have right now.”

I took it wordlessly and took a sip, hating how good it tasted. “Where did you learn how to make tea this good?” I asked, amused.

Zuko cracked a smile. “My uncle. He’s the best, jasmine is his favorite so I always keep it with me. I…” he trailed off for a moment. “It’s… been a while since I’ve seen him,” he said, with a touch of guilt.

We sat and drank for a couple more minutes, savoring the blanket of heat the fire provided.

“What’s the necklace for? Is there a story behind it?” He asked me, breaking the awkward silence.

“Oh,” I looked down at the small gold piece strung on the leather cord around my neck. “It doesn’t have any sentimental value, I just keep it in case I’m ever in a situation where I need some money in an emergency.”

Zuko chuckled and looked down at his shoes, not knowing what else to say. After a few moments, I slowly but surely rose to my feet.

“I really should be on my way; the gang will worry about me if I’m not there in the morning. Thank you, I guess.” Before Zuko could protest, I cut him off. “The stuff in the bag is for you, by the way, stay safe. Maybe try not burning us next time you try to join our group.” Cheeks flushed in embarrassment, he stuttered a goodbye and started to put out the fire. Turning away, I couldn’t help but wonder if this was the last I’d ever see of him.


	3. Zuko Joins the Gaang

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin gets back to camp after her strange encounter with the banished prince. Combustion Man attacks, and Zuko finally joins the group;

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys, back again! Sorry for a bit of a longer wait this time, but this chapter is a bit longer and more detailed! A bit of the dialogue is copied word for word from the show, so I feel the need to clarify that I do not own or claim to own Avatar: The Last Airbender, the characters or the plot. Enjoy!

Limping my way back down the worn, eroded steps of the Western Air Temple, I silently prayed no one would hear me. I left an hour or two after everyone fell asleep, so it must have been the very early hours of the morning. Hopefully no one was having trouble getting to sleep tonight. I approached the place where everyone had set up their tents, and slowly and carefully tip-toed to mine. After what felt like an eternity, I reached over to push open the cover of my tent, holding my hand over my mouth as to not make any noise. Almost in the clear, I entered the tent and-

“Good evening.”

I let out a loud but muffled yelp as I saw Sokka and Toph, sitting cross-legged on the floor of my tent. Letting the flap fall behind me, I stepped inside.

“What in the world are you doing in my tent, awake?” I whisper-yelled.

“I’m quite the detective Rin, and using my masterful skills of deduction I figured out you were missing,” Sokka said haughtily.

I cocked my head and raised an eyebrow, in doubt.

“Toph told me.”

“Sorry for snitching, but I wanted to know what you were up to,” Toph said, not sounding like there was a hint of remorse in her voice.

“Alright, so are you going to tell us why you were sneaking out of the temple?” Sokka demanded.

“Well, I was _actually_ sneaking back _in_ ,” I said, sarcastically. “But I was just going for in evening walk to clear my head.”

“I know when you’re lying, Rin. You’re limping as well. Just tell us what happened!” Toph exclaimed in an aggressive but hushed voice.

I sighed and sat down, carefully avoiding applying pressure to the fresh burns on my leg.

“I got burned.”

“And how, dare I ask, did you get burned?” Sokka interrogated.

“None of your business.”

“I’m pretty sure it’s our business. We’re our friends, and we care about you.” Hissed Toph. “Now you tell us where you’ve been or I’ll make sure you can’t use your other leg either.”

“I kind of- sort of went to see Zuko?” I offered, cheeks flushed.

I had to quickly shush the two before they made an outburst that woke everyone else.

“I was just giving him some food and water and I wanted to talk with him! Maybe see if he’s really on our side here.” I defended myself.

“Oh, and so you just tripped and fell into his campfire, huh? Sokka accused, angrily. “I told you we shouldn’t trust him! He burned you, didn’t he?”

“Well, he did and he didn’t,” I said, trying to dodge the question. How did I end up in this situation?

“But he did use firebending against you?” Toph questioned.

I sighed and shifted my weight, wincing as my leg bumped the floor of the tent. “Yes, yes he did. But it was an accident!”

“I knew it. He’s too dangerous to be left alone. We need to capture him! Maybe we invite him here to teach Aang fire bending, and then we capture him!” Sokka suggested enthusiastically.

Shaking my head, I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose. _Sokka can either have brilliant plans or completely irrationally terrible schemes, there is no in-between._

“Sokka, every day you impress me more with your genius plans.” Toph praised, her voice dripping in sarcasm.

“Alright, alright. Can we at least just all sleep on it, and have Katara look at my leg tomorrow morning? We shouldn’t bother the others so late at night, everyone needs their sleep right now.” I whispered, exasperated.

A grumbled chorus of “fine” and “alright” and “goodnight” was exchanged between the three of us and the two of them went back to their tents to retire for the night. I, however, was kept awake for a while longer. I really thought that, even if Zuko did burn me, he really seemed to regret it. He seemed like a good person and could make a great cup of tea. “ _Oh well,”_ I sighed, letting my thoughts drift. “ _Katara will never trust him now, and I’m not gonna hear the end of it for getting myself into trouble_..”

And with that thought, I slipped into sleep.

I awoke in the morning to the sound of Katara’s stifled, angry voice outside my tent.

“So. You’re telling me. She came back to camp with burns up her leg. And you didn’t immediately wake me?” I heard Katara berating someone, probably Sokka. She wouldn’t yell that much at Toph, but wouldn’t hesitate to set her brother straight.

My suspicions were confirmed when I heard Sokka’s response. “Well, she told us to not wake everyone up. If anything, it’s her fault!”

“Oh right, just pass the blame onto someone else, like always.” I heard Katara’s voice getting louder as she neared my tent. I groaned as I pulled myself into an upright position as Katara pushed through the opening.

“How are you doing?” Katara asked me, significantly gentler than how she was with her brother.

“Well, I’ve been better,” I joked tiredly. “But I was able to address it myself right away, I had some water on me.”

Katara investigated the wounds before standing and asking me if I could stand and walk. I followed her over the fountain and propped my leg up on the edge of the stone structure. I watched as Katara worked away, using her waterbending. I only knew the basics from reading books and such, but Katara was practically a master already. I was finally starting to relax, thinking I was in the clear when-

_Boom!_ The sound of an explosion overhead and stone crumbling snapped me back to reality.

“It’s Combustion Man! Everyone, take cover!” I heard Sokka yell from behind me. As I heard another explosion as I dashed to the wall to hide, pain shooting up my leg. Once behind everyone else, I yelled over the explosions.

“So what are we gonna do?”

“We? You’re staying behind us, you’re injured!” Katara shouted back.

“We all are, we just came back from a battle!”

“It won’t matter if we get blown off the side of this cliff!” Toph yelled.

As we relentlessly tried to knock him down, I saw a figure emerge to the right of the assassin. Could it be? No- no it couldn’t be-

“Zuko! Watch out!” I shouted as I saw Combustion Man gear up for another attack, this time against Zuko. He jumped out of the way and the assassin blew up half the ledge they were both standing on.

“Stop! The mission’s off! I won’t pay you if you don’t stop!” We heard him yell.

We all exchanged looks of shock. “Fine! I’ll pay you double to stop!” Zuko offered, jumping in front of him and waving his arms. Combustion Man turned to Zuko again and appeared to be preparing another strike. Zuko started creating a shield of fire to block the oncoming attack, but the explosion was too much and drove him off the cliffside. Anxiety building up, heart racing, my eyes darted around the ledge to see if he really fell off the side-

I let out a sigh of relief as I saw him gripping onto a swinging vine, growing on the side of the ledge. Meanwhile, Katara was trying to land a hit on Combustion Man.

“I can’t get an angle on him!” She exclaimed, frustrated and panicked.

“I know how to get an angle on him,” Sokka said as if a light bulb went off in his head. He quickly studied the angle that the explosions, calculating where they must be coming from. He drew a steeling breath and with a swing of his arms sent his boomerang flying. We all sat quietly in earnest until we heard a loud thud from the cliff.

“Yeah, boomerang!” Sokka yelled triumphantly, jumping out from behind the wall and catching his weapon in his hand. His celebration quickly stopped when we saw our opponent rising from the ground.

“Awhhh, boomerang!” He said as he got pulled back behind the wall again. Before we could attempt another attack, we heard an incredible explosion as Combustion Man essentially self-destructed. All we could do was exchange wide-eyed looks, stunned at the sight we just witnessed. As the dust settled, we were greeted with Zuko climbing up onto the platform we were standing on. 

“I can’t believe I’m saying this but, thanks Zuko,” Aang said, still in shock.

“Hey, what about me? I did the boomerang thing?” Complained Sokka.

“I know I didn’t explain myself very well yesterday, but I’ve been through a lot in the past few years and it’s been hard,” Zuko explained. “But I’m realizing I had to go through all those things to learn the truth. I thought that somehow I lost my honor and my father could somehow return it to me. But now I know that no one can give you your honor. It’s something you earn for yourself by choosing what’s right. All I want to do now is to play my part in ending this war, and I know it’s my destiny to help you restore balance to the world,” he said, facing Aang.

“I’m sorry for what I did to you, it was an accident,” Zuko said, turning to you. “Fire can be dangerous and wild, so as a firebender I need to be more careful and control my bending so I don’t hurt people unintentionally.”

I could see that statement resonated with Aang. “I think you are supposed to be my firebending teacher… when I first tried, I burned Katara, and thought I would never firebend again. But now I know you understand how easy it is to hurt the people you love. I’d like you to teach me.”

I saw Zuko’s eyes light up, he was visibly excited. “Thank you,” he said, bowing. “I’m so happy you’ve accepted me into your group.”

“Not so fast,” Aang said. “I still have to ask my friends if it’s ok with them. Rin, you’re the one that Zuko burned. What do you think?”

I saw Zuko cringe at the memory. Smirking, I said, “I don’t see why not. Plus, I’ll be able to get back at him for burning my leg.”

I noticed an obvious sense of relief wash over Zuko as one by one, the gang agreed to let him join, some more reluctantly as others. “I won’t let you down, I promise!” Zuko said, enthusiastically. Everyone wordlessly went their separate ways. I could tell that even though the group wasn’t completely jazzed about his joining, he was still happy to have made it.

“I can show you where there’s extra room,” I offered with a smile. “Come on, it’s over through this hallway.” I started walking over to the archway, a clear limp in my step. Zuko must have noticed the hesitation, because he picked up his pace so that he was walking next to me.

“Here, let me help you. Lean on me. It’ll hurt more if you try to limp,” He proposed, extending his arm.

“I’m fine, really,” I protested, despite the clear pain I was feeling.

“Come on, it’s the least I can do.”

“Fine!” I joked, with a dramatic sigh of defeat.

I leaned against his shoulder and wrapped my arm around his back for support as we started to walk towards the bedrooms. My cheeks were flushed with red and I had the feeling of butterflies in my stomach. _Am I seriously falling for him? This is ridiculous, I don’t even know if he has a girlfriend at home in the Fire Nation._ I pulled my thoughts together as we arrived at the door of the unoccupied bedroom.

“Alright, here’s home-sweet-home for now. We’re going to have lunch soon, so I’ll see you in a bit,” I informed him with a warm look on my face. He smiled back appreciatively as I left and closed the door behind me. 


	4. Healing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko and Aang go on a life-changing field trip. Upon examination after returning, Rin finds that Zuko has broken his ribs. She'll need to help him heal every day, and in exchange, they'll be training together when he recovers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not too many disclaimers this time- although I would like to add the medical details are non-fiction, and actually what is recommended by the NHS! But if you suspect broken ribs please go to an actual doctor (Since some measures we can take cannot be done in the Avatar universe, ofc). I do not own or claim to own Avatar: The Last Airbender or its characters. A bit of dialogue is copied word for word and a bit is paraphrased from the original source material!

“No one makes tea like my uncle, but hopefully I picked some things up from him,” Zuko said, pouring out some cups for the group to enjoy. “Would you guys like to hear Uncle’s favorite tea joke?”

“Sure, I love jokes!” Aang said, excited.

“Alright, so, I don’t remember the beginning, but the punchline is ‘Leaf me alone, I’m bushed!’” Zuko said enthusiastically. He only received deadpan looks from his audience. “It’s… funnier when Uncle tells it,” he stammered, embarrassed.

“Maybe because he remembers the whole joke!” Katara laughed, the rest of the Gaang following suit. Zuko ended up laughing too; it was nice to see him get more comfortable with us. 

It was so nice to have a spell of time where we could just sit, talk, and drink tea; a phenomenon that didn’t happen very often. As the sun slowly set behind the mountains in front of us, we started to clean up and head to our bedrooms. I found my bedroom and, after a long day, collapsed into my welcoming bed.

Our days were starting to evolve into days of training or bending classes for those who were able to recover. Though my burn was still hindering me a bit, I sat nearby and watched the benders as they worked. Toph was busy training Haru and Aang. Katara would teach just Aang, but once I fully recovered I would be able to tag in as well. Sokka lead classes in melee weapons for non-benders, and soon Zuko would start teaching Aang firebending. After running through the schedule tomorrow in my head, I left my thoughts to wander as I sank into sleep.

As the sun rose, the first lesson started. The first lesson was Toph’s class. Now, even though half the “classes” were for bending I couldn’t use, I still thought it would be useful to familiarize myself with the techniques. Also, being on bed rest is _very_ boring. Next up was Katara’s waterbending class with Aang. This was the one I paid specific attention to, for obvious reasons. There was quite a difference between the two girls’ teaching methods, and going from one to another felt like getting whiplash. But it made sense with their personalities.

While Aang went away to rest for a while and Sokka was over on the other side of the temple teaching the non-benders, I sat down with Katara to learn how to heal with waterbending. She complimented the job I did on my own leg while giving me some pointers on how to improve for next time. It was fascinating learning all about the different ways to treat different injuries. Just as interesting as learning offensive tactics, I found. Because I was a female during a period of war, I was trained in basic and general first-aid, but I never had another bender to teach me.

The last lesson of the day, taking place in the mid to late-afternoon, was firebending. Only Zuko and Aang could firebend, but they said it might be too dangerous for me to watch, so I grumpily made my way over to spectate Sokka’s lesson.

It was dinner time, and we were gathered around the campfire eating. Approaching the fire, Zuko looked defeated and frustrated. “Listen, everybody, I've got some pretty bad news. I've lost my stuff,” he declared.

“Don’t look at me,” Toph said, raising her hands above her head. “I didn’t touch your stuff.”

“I'm talking about my firebending,” Zuko said dejectedly. “It's gone.”

“Maybe you’re not as good as you think you are,” Katara commented, a little ruder than necessary.

Zuko looked like a thought just came to him. “I bet it's because I changed sides.”

“That’s ridiculous.” Katara scoffed.

“I don't know. Maybe it isn't. Maybe your firebending comes from rage and you just don't have enough anger to fuel it the way you used to.” Aang suggested.

“So all we have to do is make Zuko angry?” Sokka asked. “Easy enough.”

I laughed as Sokka messed with Zuko, trying to rile him up by poking him with the hilt of his sword.

“Ok, enough!” Zuko snapped. “Even if you’re right, I don’t want to rely on hate or anger anymore, there has to be another way.”

“You’re going to need to learn to draw your firebending from another source,” instructed Toph. “I recommend the original source.”

“Is it jumping into a volcano?” Sokka suggested.

“Is it?” I asked.

“No, he needs to go back to whatever the original source of firebender is,” Toph said, exasperated by our commentary. “For me, it was the badger moles.”

“I learned from the monks, but the original airbenders were the sky bison,” Aang added.

“Maybe Appa could give you a lesson sometime!” Toph joked.

“Well the original firebenders were the dragons, and they’re all extinct now.”

I stood to refill my tea, letting the group’s conversation fade into the sounds of the canyon. It was truly a lovely setting, despite the temple technically being a ruin. I refilled my cup and made my way back to the campfire. As I got closer to my seat, I started to hear what the group was talking about again.

The first thing I heard completely was a question from Sokka. “Maybe you'll pick up some super old Sun Warrior energy just by standing where they stood a thousand years ago?” 

I sat down, crossing my legs and chuckling about the absurdity of the comment I just heard. “Sokka sounds like he’s been hitting the cactus juice again, have I really missed that much in a couple minutes?”

“Zuko’s going to take me to the ancient Sun Warriors!” Aang filled me in, looking like he was too excited to stay in his seat. _That kid never runs out of energy._ I thought with a slight smile _._ We continued lounging in front of the fire while Zuko and Aang got up and started packing. They were probably planning on leaving tomorrow morning.

One day had passed uneventfully. My leg was starting to heal enough that I was able to catch up on learning the things Katara taught Aang. Learning waterbending was one of the best parts of joining Team Avatar for me. It wasn’t easy trying to learn from the books at my small library, or from watching the earthbenders work. We were practicing a move from a waterbending scroll when we heard Appa thump onto the temple floor near us.

“Aang! Zuko!” I turned to greet them, dropping the water I was working with to wave at them.

As they made their way off of Appa, Katara asked them, “So, mission success or failure? Did you learn anything on your field trip?”

“Yes! With this firebending form, Zuko and I will be unstoppable!” Aang’s eyes were brighter than normal, maybe they really got “enlightenment” from those ancient rituals. The two firebenders showed off the firebending form they learned, earning mockery from the group about their little dance. We ended up with collapsing with laughter when we found out what it was called.

Katara thought it would be safest if we started checking up on our friends after they have another adventure, to ensure there aren’t any injuries that get past us. So, after dinner I packed up my materials and made my way to Zuko’s door, knocking lightly.

“Come in,” a voice welcomed me.

“Hi, I’m here for your mandatory checkup, we need to make sure you’re alright,” I informed him.

“I feel fine, checkup done.” he protested.

“Well, Katara said the mandatory checkup _is_ mandatory, and if I faced any resistance I should, quote, ‘send him to me’, and I would advise you that she wouldn’t be as friendly as I am.” I joked. “May I ask some questions?”

Zuko nodded, smiling slightly.

“Have you had any signs of external bleeding- cuts, wounds, etcetera?”

“Not that I know of.”

“Ok, how about any bites or stings- did you run into any animals on your way?”

“Not in particular.”

“Ok, sounding good so far. What about breathing issues, anything abnormal?”

“Well, it has been a little harder to breathe since we left.” He admitted.

“Could you elaborate? Any sharp pains in the chest area?”

“Yes, yes, that’s it. Sharp pains and trouble breathing.”

I looked him up and down, worryingly. “Any guesses as to what might have happened? Sounds like bruised or broken ribs.”

“We… might have been aggressively thrown up against some metal bars by a glue trap. Could that be an issue?”

I laughed and pinched the bridge of my nose, frustrated but amused. “Yes, being hurled into metal bars can break a rib or two, Zuko. I’m going to need you to take off your shirt…” I trailed off, realized how weird that sounded. “I mean- only if you- it would be easier to see what the issue is- sorry if that sounded really strange,” I rambled, embarrassed, but Zuko just laughed and complied.

Still a little nervous, I stammered a bit, but when I got back into my medical-talk comfort zone I got a grip. “So… some other symptoms could be bruising on the skin, swelling around the area, or feeling or hearing a crack.”

“Yeah, that checks out. So how long does this take to heal?” He asked, with a touch of anxiety. I knew he wouldn’t like what he heard; we were on a bit of a tight schedule.

“Broken ribs aren’t quite like other bones, like in your legs or arms, so the best route is to let them heal naturally. It would usually take 3-6 weeks, but with some healing sessions with Katara or me could help speed up the process, if you’d like.”

“Yes, please!” He jumped at the opportunity.

“Ok, so I can do a session once today, but first I’ll run through some things you should do. To prevent chest infections, breathe normally, and cough when you need to. If you need to cough, hold a pillow against your chest, take 10 slow, deep breaths every hour, walk around and move your shoulders, and try to sleep more upright the first few nights.” I rattled off the suggestions that I became so familiar with due to wartime injuries.

“How do you know all this stuff?” Zuko said, sounded impressed and surprised.

“One of the biggest mistakes all four nations make is underestimating the use of non-benders. Even though I knew I could waterbend, I spent my time watching the healers in my town and reading a ton of books on medical care. It’s honestly more absurd that people _don’t_ know about this kind of stuff, there’s a war going on for Agni’s sake!”

Zuko seemed to be in thought while I prepared the water to start the first healing session. “Hey, maybe you could teach me some first aid!” he suggests.

Now it was my turn to look surprised. The crown prince of the Fire Nation wants to learn… first aid? I voiced my confusion with the request.

“I don’t want to only know how to hurt people, I want to be able to protect and heal the people I care about too.”

“Well, that’s very sweet of you,” I said, laughing as I saw his cheeks turn a shade of pink. I reached over behind his head to support it with a pillow, only realizing how close we were when I felt his hot breath on my shoulder. With butterflies in my stomach, I hesitated for a second out of shock before I pulled myself back upright.

“Alright, so, I’m going to start the first healing session. Just be warned, the water will probably feel cold; we use colder water because usually it has more benefits like reducing swelling.” As I focused on the left side of his chest, I heard him ask again.

“Seriously, I do want to learn how to heal too!”

“Maybe there’s something you could teach me in exchange?” I said, joking.

Zuko’s eyes lit up. “I can teach you how to defend from firebending moves! I know how they train their benders, so I know what attacks they’ll use. I’ve already been teaching Aang, but I could get you up to speed.”

“I think that would be perfect- it’s a deal,” I said, smiling. “You’re all done!”

I noticed him trying to get up out of bed. “Nope,” I shut him down quickly. “You have bed rest. One week,” I said, packing up my things and heading to the door. As I heard him protest from behind me, I turned and smirked. “That’s my revenge for my leg.” And though I couldn’t see it, Zuko smiled behind me.


	5. The Family Visit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azula pays a visit to the Western Air Temple, Rin reflects on her relationship with a certain disgraced prince, and is offered a chance to get revenge on someone from her past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, sorry for being MIA for the past week, I was on vacation with my family! Though the chapter is a tad short, I hope you enjoy! Thank you for the kudos, it means more than you know! :D

_Boom!_

I was snapped out of sleep with the sound of an explosion nearby. My ears ringing and heart audibly thumping, I realized this wasn’t just a bad dream. “What was that?” I shouted, feeling faint from the speed at which my heart was racing. I stood up and looked wildly around to see bombs being sprayed in our direction. “Who’s attacking us?”

“Oh, it was just Momo,” Toph said sarcastically as she scrambled up from the ground. “Not the Fire Nation or anything!”

“Haha, very funny,” I said with a hint of panic, as Aang shut the walls of the temple with a swoop of his glider.

I noticed just a second too late that the grenades outside were causing the structural integrity of the walls to break down, I was about to be crushed by rocks when-

 _Thump._ I felt the wind get knocked out of me as I hit the ground about four feet away, feeling the weight of someone on top of me. I turned around and faced to see who saved me.

I felt my cheeks flush pink and the familiar butterflies in my stomach- Zuko had saved me, and was now on top of me, pinning me down. Very awkwardly I mumbled a quick thank you as he and I both struggled to get up. _Jeez, what is this, a rom-com?_

Everything happened in a blur. I heard Toph clearing a tunnel, and getting half of the group in. Aang, Katara, and Sokka were trying to coerce Appa into the tunnel, who was putting up some resistance. Over the din, I heard Zuko telling us, “Stay behind, I think this is a family visit.”

Though it wasn’t very clear to me how it happened, I ended up on the back of Appa, flying through blasts of fire and clinging on to the side of the saddle for dear life. My eyes shot down to the airships below us and I felt a lump form in my throat at what I saw.

“Zuko!” I screamed out, watching as he was thrown off the side of the airship from the force of his sister’s attack. “Aang, Aang! We need to get below the airships! Now!” I yelled out, the panic in my voice rising.

We took a sharp turn and started diving towards him. I reached out my hand and pulled him into the saddle, making him tumble into me again.

“How do we always end up on top of each other in situations like this,” I said, noticing Zuko’s blushing face and laughing through the tears.

“Are you really crying right now, Rin?” Sokka teased, ruffling my hair.

“Hey, I woke up to a bomb and our friend almost died. I have a right to be upset,” I said, wiping away my tears with a smile.

“She’s not gonna make it,” Zuko said in astonishment, watching his sister falling with wide eyes.

We all watched as Azula, with the help of her signature blue firebending, latched onto the cliffside.

“Of course she did,” Zuko scoffed, turning away to face the sun.

“Hey idiot,” I said, turning to face Zuko. “Never fall off an airship again, ok?”

“I’ll do my best,” he promised me, laughing. “You were worried about me, weren’t you?” He teased.

We found a place to camp out for the night, and started a fire and prepared some food. Katara had a weird outburst at Zuko, and they both stormed off, but I thought nothing of it. Though everyone else seemed to be able to go to sleep, I couldn’t relax. Maybe it was the stress of this morning, but I decided to get up and get a drink. I started a small fire, fixed a cup of tea and sat on a rock nearby.

I thought back to the past couple of days- days can feel like weeks when you’re with the Avatar, so much can happen. After Zuko improved enough, I let him know his period of bed rest was over. I started teaching him basic, non-bending first aid, and he held up his end of the bargain by sparring with me to teach me to fight back against fire benders. We bonded a lot in those couple of weeks; we really clicked. We had some shared interests, and swapped stories from our respective times on fire nation boats at sea. We quickly became friends but sometimes I wondered if we could be something more.

I was yanked from my contemplations as I heard a voice behind me.

“Couldn’t sleep either?”

I whipped around to see where the voice was coming from but was relieved to see Zuko. Holding a hand over my chest, I warned him, “If you sneak up on me again I might just knock you clean off your feet, waterbending or not.”

He chuckled and sat next to me on the stone. “May I ask you a question?”

I nodded, wondering what was keeping him up at this hour.

“I’ve been trying to figure out why Katara is mad at me,” he admitted.

I let out a sigh of relief. Conflict is never good, but I was happy he didn’t have a problem with me.

“It seems like she was attaching her anger at the man who killed her mother with… me. I found out who was responsible for the raids.” He continued. “You were kidnapped by the Fire Nation during a raid, right?”

“When I was two or three, yes,” I confirmed. “Where are you going with this?”

“I want to help her find justice. I’m taking her to the captain of the Sea Ravens, the one who killed her mother. I wanted to know if you wanted to find the men who kidnapped you, and get closure for yourself.” He offered.

I sat and thought it out for a moment and calculated my response. “I… don’t know if that would be the right way to do it. You and Katara may go ahead, but I don’t believe it would be best for her to get closure that way. Aang will certainly have a problem with it.”

Zuko took a moment to process my response. I would think he assumed I’d have a similar reaction to Katara when it came to revenge. “We’ll be leaving at dawn tomorrow. If you want to join us, you can.” He offered, standing to leave. I grabbed his sleeve before he could go.

“Hey,” I said, looking up into his golden eyes. “Don’t do anything stupid, ok?”

He nodded, promising me he would stay safe. I stood up to face him, and without thinking first, I quickly pulled him into a hug, wrapping my arms around his. He seemed surprised and I could hear his heart thudding, but didn’t fight it. “Good night,” I whispered, smiling.

“Good night.”


	6. Ember Island Beach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Gaang makes it to Ember Island and enjoy a day at the beach- a day of training ensues. Sokka and Suki find out about a plan about their adventures, and Rin comes to Zuko when she has doubts about the Fire Nation disguise she was given.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back with another chapter! Had some writer's block earlier but I'm back at it again. I'd like to note that there's a bit of canon divergence in this chapter (different from the rest of the work, because of course a new character would make some changes). In this chapter, Zuko doesn't go bat-sh*t crazy, so let's just pretend the Gaang is a little earlier than expected. Please enjoy! (I do not own or claim to own Avatar: The Last Airbender or its characters. A bit of dialogue is copied word for word and a bit is paraphrased from the original source material.)

I woke up, eyes still bleary from sleep. It had been a day since Katara and Zuko went to find the captain of the Sea Ravens, and it was unexpectedly boring without them. Maybe even as boring as bed rest was- but that’s beside the point. I had asked Sokka if he could start teaching me how to use a sword in battle, but all he wanted to do was sleep, so I turned to Suki. She only had a pair of fans for herself, but she was happy to teach me some more non-bending combat skills. It was certainly interesting, but I missed being able to learn waterbending from Katara or sparring with Zuko.

“ _You also miss Zuko.”_ A voice in the back of my head reminded me, but I pushed away those thoughts and started to get dressed for the day. I debated whether I should go with one of the sets of Fire Nation clothing we stole from a clothesline, or my Earth Kingdom gear. I decided to go with the latter, remembering we might need to be in public in the Fire Nation, and it was tricky to wash clothes out in the middle of nowhere.

I pushed the flap of my tent open and walked into the clearing, eyes squinting from the bright light of the sun. I approached Suki’s tent and peeked inside, but she wasn’t there. I giggled to myself quietly, I figured she probably was in Sokka’s tent, still asleep. I decided to go to the area we trained near yesterday; a quiet, scenic area with some shelter, thanks to the mountains surrounding the area.

I couldn’t make it outside the campsite, however, before noticing a moving figure on the horizon.

“Appa!” I yelled out.

I heard Sokka’s voice coming from the tent. “You better have a good reason for being so loud so early, Rin!”

“Zuko and Katara are back!” I responded, excitement tangible in my voice. The sun was already pretty high in the sky, anyway, Sokka could stand to wake up. I heard some scrambling and Sokka emerged (followed by Suki, trying to remain undetected), and we made our way to the dock as Appa flew closer and closer. Katara was the first to hop down and was promptly greeted by Aang, Sokka, and Suki. Toph was still asleep, but she’d hear what happened later no doubt. I ran over to Zuko when he landed on the wooden dock.

“I’m so glad you guys are okay!” I said, giving him another hug, almost knocking him over.

“How do you manage to almost shove me to ground every time you try to hug me?” He asked, amused.

“What, do you think I’m not strong?” I huffed, striking a pose like Sokka.

“Was it really that boring to go a day without me or Katara?” He joked at me as we walked back to the campsite.

“Yes!”

It had been a couple hours since the missing members of our group returned, and we were sitting around the center of the campsite, listening to Zuko and Katara telling us what happened. I was so thrilled to hear they had made up and equally pleased to hear that Katara didn’t end the sad old man’s life- his life seemed like punishment enough, from the way she described him. However happy this moment was though, I had to get the group in gear if Sokka was still going to act sleepy.

“Sorry to ruin the moment, but we should really get going, we can’t stay in the same place for too long. Any suggestions?”

After it was clear the whole group was at a loss for ideas, Zuko made an offer. “Anyone up for a vacation on Ember Island?”

* * *

A ride on Appa later, we landed on the sandy beach of Ember Island, luckily out of sight from others.

“Are you sure this will be safe, Zuko? What if someone in your family decides they need a break from world domination?” Toph pestered after we finished unloading our supplies.

“My father hasn’t been here since our family was actually happy, and that hasn’t been the case for a while,” Zuko sulked.

“Hey, lighten up!” I nudged Zuko with my elbow while holding a sleeping bag. “Why don’t we take a break for today, enjoy the beach for a bit, just relax?”

I caught a bit of a smile on his face before he turned away to continue hauling stuff up to the beach house. “Fine,” he conceded. “But just today, no fooling around tomorrow!”

“Yes! You heard it here first folks, Zuko says we can have a beach day!” I announced, racing up the steps to grab my bathing suit. Though I’d never tell anyone, I only wanted us to spend the day outside so Zuko would be distracted from bad memories he attached to this old house.

* * *

“Finally!” I yelled out in triumph, having finally won. Katara and I were playing a sort of beach volleyball, expect we used waterbending to play in the sea- and I wasn’t very good at it. “You can get Aang to stop making sandcastles if you wanna keep playing, but I’m going to lie down on the beach,” I said, slowly wading back to shore. I noticed Zuko and Suki had their towels on the sand and ran up to join them.

“Finally tired of splashing in the ocean?” Zuko asked me. “You’re dripping all over our stuff!”

“Yeah, I just got out of the water, so I’m probably not going to be very dry,” I said sarcastically, pulling the water off my skin, and out of my hair and bathing suit. “Do you need any refreshment?” I threatened, holding the water I just bent over his head.

I saw Zuko panic for a minute and laughed, tossing the water back into the ocean instead and lying down on my towel next to him. It was so relaxing on that beach, I could practically fall asleep. I closed my eyes and started humming a familiar tune when I heard Zuko bolt upright.

“What’s that song you were just humming?” He asked, rather urgently.

“It’s just a lullaby my dad would sing to me, he always claimed he learned it when he was infiltrating a Fire Nation ship, but no one would ever believe him,” I explained with a smile. “But I never knew the name of. Why do you ask?” I inquired, bewildered. I turned to face him and saw he was tearing up.

“Hey, wait, don’t get upset! What’s the matter?”

He hid his face before answering. “My uncle would always sing that song…” he trailed off. I grabbed his hands and held them in mine.

“Well… I don’t really know how I can help, but know you can always talk to me, okay?”

* * *

It was the next day, and Zuko and Aang were training in the courtyard. Zuko and I had just finished a match, one which I finally won. We developed a playful rivalry, which at the end of the day brought out our best skills in each of us.

Katara and I were sitting in the shade of the building and watching the two benders practice when we heard Sokka and Suki arrive “home”.

“Guess what, there’s a play about us!” Sokka unfurled a poster with an advertisement from a theater company. “The Boy in the Iceberg is a new production from acclaimed playwright Pu-on Tim, who scoured the globe gathering information on the Avatar, from the icy South Pole to the heart of Ba Sing Se. His sources include singing nomads, pirates, prisoners of war, and a surprisingly knowledgeable merchant of cabbage,” he read aloud to the group.

“Brought to you by the critically acclaimed Ember Island Players.” Suki finished.

“Ugh! My mother used to take us to see them. They butchered _Love Amongst the Dragons_ every year!” Zuko complained, turning and starting to walk away.

“C’mon, they can’t be that bad, let’s give it a shot!” I tried to convince him, standing to walk over to Sokka and Suki. “It’ll be fun!”

“Sokka, do you really think it’s the best idea to attend a play about ourselves?” Katara asked, hesitant.

“Come on, a day at the theater? This is the kind of wacky time-wasting nonsense I've been missing! Suki, Rin, you’re with me right?”

* * *

We managed to convince everyone to go, so we all retreated to our rooms to get into our “disguises”. Toph and Aang ran off a while ago to borrow without permission- we needed more formal clothes to blend in at a theater, and I was stuck with the only outfit that fit me. It wasn’t bad, it was actually very beautiful, but it was quite out of my comfort zone. It was a dress with sleeves cinched at the elbow, an off the shoulder neckline, and a skirt that reached my ankles. It was made with a deep red, silky fabric with golden-colored trim. I completed it with a pair of black slip-on shoes we found last time. I tied my hair into a half-up style with a golden ribbon I found in the drawers of the vanity and stared at my reflection for a couple minutes. I never thought I would look like I was Fire Nation, and it was jarring, to say the least.

I quickly but carefully rushed down the hallway looking for the right door. Without knocking, I barged in.

“Zukooo!” I called, seeing him at the mirror fixing a cape around his arms.

He sighed and turned around. “What’s the emergency today?”

“This outfit looks so weird, are you sure this is what formal wear is?” I asked, fiddling with the golden ribbon around my waist.

“You look like Azula,” he chuckled and then corrected himself. “Wait- but, like, not in a bad way. You look like a proper Fire Nation individual.”

“It’s still so weird- how could you or your sister do anything with these kinds of get-ups?”

As I kept rambling, I felt Zuko place his hands on my shoulder, our faces inches apart. “You look great, okay? You don’t need to worry.”

He turned away, leaving me with the all-too-familiar feeling of my heart racing and cheeks aflame. “Besides, you don’t have to hide your identity,” he complained.

“Ah, the mortal ordeal of being known.” I sighed, acting like I knew what I was talking about. “At least you’re important enough to have an identity to protect, I bet I won’t even be in the play. Now come on, we’re gonna be late!”


	7. The Ember Island Players

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You know it, you love it, one of the best fillers in the ATLA series. How will Rin react to the playwright’s obvious favor of the Zutara ship? How will Zuko handle seeing his worst mistakes play out in front of him? Will Sokka ever get his fire flakes and fire gummies?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't have that many notes this time, I'd just like to thank everyone for the support! It really means the world to me :D this story has been a lot of fun to write, as I haven't written just for fun in a while. I was considering continuing the story after Book 3 ends, I haven't read the comics so it would pretty much be non-canon fluff, so if anyone's interested in that let me know in the comments! Enjoy!

We had finally all gotten ready to go to the theater, disguises on. We headed into town, bought our tickets, and found our seats. Toph and Katara started filling in the first row of the box, and I sat on the same level, a space in between me and Katara. Zuko was quick to sit down in that spot, but then I heard Aang to my left.

“Hey, uh… I wanted to sit there.” He said, trying to stay casual.

“What’s the big deal, can’t you just sit next to Sokka and Suki? Zuko responded, removing his hood.

“I was just, I wanted to…” Aang stuttered.

“C’mon Zuko, we’ll just sit in the upper row,” I said, grabbing him by the wrist. “There’s more room up there anyway.”

After we moved and got situated at our new seats, I turned and whispered in his ear. “Can’t you see he’s trying to sit next to Katara? He’s totally got such a crush on her.”

I giggled as I saw Zuko’s face, confusion was written all over it. “Wait… wha-?”

I cut him off before he could finish, pointing at the lights dimming. “Shhh, it’s starting!”

I had to admit, while the play was a bit accurate, it certainly exaggerated the not-so-favorable attributes of my friends. I started to become grateful that I only showed up in public around them in disguise or during the invasion because then I was safe from being mocked.

I laughed especially in Zuko’s first scene.

“I don’t have time to stuff my face, I must capture the Avatar to regain my honor!” Announced actor-Zuko.

“You never told me you had a ponytail like that,” I teased, ruffling his now loose hair.

He sighed with a smile and turned back to the play.

“While you do that, maybe I’ll capture another slice!” actor-Iroh said, chomping on a piece of cake.

“You sicken me!” Shouted actor-Zuko.

“They make me look totally stiff and humorless,” Zuko complained, gesturing to the stage.

“I don’t know, I think the actor’s pretty spot-on.” I joked, amused.

“How could you say that?” Zuko said, in protest.

We turned back to the stage, where actor-Iroh just finished his line.

“How could you say that?” Shouted actor-Zuko, just as Zuko had moments later.

I turned to him with a smile as he, in turn, slumped in defeat at the accurate portrayal. I turned back to the stage, being able to enjoy the performance knowing I wouldn’t be involved.

* * *

“So far the best part of this play is the intermission,” Zuko mumbled as we made our way down the staircase out of the theater.

Sokka, Katara, and Aang voiced their agreement. Toph, Suki, and I, however, argued in its favor.

“Listen friends, it's obvious that the playwright did his research. I know it must hurt, but what you're seeing up there on that stage is the truth.” Toph boldly claimed.

* * *

The play was halfway through the group’s adventures in the Earth Kingdom. Up until then, I was happy and interested in seeing all the parts of the story that’d I had missed, albeit told slightly differently than what I assumed was reality. In this scene, Katara and Zuko were in the Crystal Catacombs underneath the Earth Kingdom after being arrested by the Dai Li agents.

“I have to admit Prince Zuko, I _really_ find you attractive!” actress-Katara said.

“You don't have to make fun of me,” responded actor-Zuko, turning his face away.

“I've had eyes for you since the day you first captured me!”

The real Zuko and Katara were getting visibly uncomfortable, and I could tell Aang was getting angry.

“Wait, I thought you were the Avatar’s girl!”

I narrowed my eyes in approval, not realizing Aang was having the same reaction.

“The Avatar? Why, I think of him as a little brother! I certainly don’t think of him in a romantic way. Besides, how could he ever find out about… this?” actress-Katara lifted a leg and held actor-Zuko’s hands in hers.

I stood up in a daze, muttering something about getting some snacks. Before I understood what I was doing, I was walking out the door.

“Could you get me some fire flakes?” Sokka whispered, putting his arm around Suki. “Oh, and some fire gummies!”

I didn’t respond.

I blindly veered left and found myself back against the wall, leaning on it for support. It wasn’t like me to get jealous or hung-up on stupid playground taunts like this play, but it was really getting under my skin for some reason. I looked up and saw Aang, staring at the water from the edge of the building’s deck.

“So, the play’s got you upset too?” I asked, walking over to lean on the railing next to him.

“You could say that again,” he said gloomily, not averting his eyes from the sunset.

I sighed. “Katara, huh? She’s great.”

“Wha… I don’t know what you’re talking about…” he mumbled, suddenly more aware.

“You wouldn’t have stormed out like that if you just saw her as a friend,” I chuckled, watching his shoulders slump in defeat.

“So what about you? Why did you storm out?”

Now it was my turn to stare at the sunset. I didn’t answer.

Aang’s eyes widened. “…Zuko?”

I rested my chin on the banister. “Ugh, yeah. It’s not like me to get stupid school-yard crushes.”

“You clearly care about him,” Aang said earnestly. “If it’s like how I feel for Katara then…”

I smiled at Aang’s worried face.

“Sorry if I overstepped,” he stammered, but I cut him off.

“It’s fine,” I laughed, glancing back to the open theater door, light and sound bouncing off the walls. “I guess we all just have some stuff we need to figure out.”

“It looks like there’s an intermission again,” Aang pointed to the door as we heard the sudden shuffling of feet.

“Don’t do anything dumb, okay kid? You’ve got this,” I smiled and ruffled his short hair.

The sound of the audience got louder as people started to pour out the doors. I hung back near the banister as Aang went to look for Katara. I saw all the group filter out, Aang with Katara, Suki, Sokka, and Toph together, but no Zuko. I started to get worries and make my way towards the door when I noticed a familiar figure, slumped against the wall. I quietly sat next to him.

“You’re upset.”

“No kidding.”

“Why?”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

I reached for his hand. “Hey, when I told you you could always talk to me, I meant it. What’s wrong?”

“This stupid play!” Zuko yelled out in frustration.

“Jeez, everyone’s getting so worked up over this play,” I mumbled under my breath. _Dramaaaa_.

“You’re not even in this play, you’ve got nothing to worry about. But for me, it takes all the mistakes I’ve made in my life and shoves them back in my face. My uncle, he’s always been on my side, even when things were bad. He was always there for me, he taught me so much, and how do I repay him? With a knife in his back. It’s my greatest regret, and I may never get to redeem myself.”

I drew a deep breath before speaking again. “Hey. You’re here, with us, and you’re teaching Aang. You’re on the good side Zuko, and your uncle will know that. He strikes me as the understanding type.” I noticed Zuko crack a smile before shifting back to his previous glum expression.

“You made some mistakes, but that fact that you feel this regret is what makes the big difference. You understood what you did was wrong, and you righted that. Now, that seems more honorable than doing the right thing in the first place, doesn’t it?”

A kid ran by, dressed up as Zuko. “Hey, nice Zuko costume, but your scar’s on the wrong side!”

“The scar’s not on the wrong side!” He shouted, clearly irritated. That was my cue to double over, laughing until I had tears in my eyes. Zuko seemed to be in a better mood, so my work here was done. I helped him up and we walked back inside the theater to see the rest of the stupid play. 


	8. Sozin's Comet (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The finale is coming! Rin finds out that Aang is nowhere to be found, and the Gaang sets out to find him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo. It's been a while.  
> I'm so sorry for not updating for like a month, I had some bad writer's block when it came to this story!! But I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, I've already planned out how the last chapters will go I think you guys will be satisfied with how I end the story :D I'll be ending it at the end of the show, and the last 4 episodes will probably be condensed into 3 chapters. Thank you all so much for the support! It really makes the story worth writing. So without further ado, here's chapter 8!

It was a couple days before the day of Sozin’s comet. I tried to manage my stress by being overly optimistic, so I went around waking everyone up.

“Good morning sleepy head!” I barged into Aang’s room, expecting to be greeted with a pillow thrown at my face (Sokka’s reaction), but no one was there.

“Guys? _Guys?!”_ I frantically yelled, leaving his room and dashing down the corridor. I ran into Katara, who was packing up the last things we needed.

“Have you seen Aang?” I asked her, breathlessly and terrified.

“No, why?” She asked, puzzled.

“He’s not in his room, and he left his staff there! I can’t find him!”

Katara matched my level of panic as we searched all the rooms in a frenzy. When our search came up with nothing, we ran outside.

“It’s about time guys, we were wai-”

“Shut up Sokka, Aang is missing!” Katara hissed. Sokka, Toph, and Zuko looked at us, bewildered.

“You’re kidding, right?” Zuko asked, in shock.

“Am I one to kid around, Zuko?” I asked. 

“Yes. All the time, you love pranks.” He answered, deadpan.

“I love them _so_ much but this isn’t a prank, he left his glider behind and we don’t know where he went!”

“Okay, okay, chill out, just relax,” Sokka tried to calm us.

“Oh, I’m sorry, the one person who can save the world from destruction is MIA, but I’ll just quit having a panic attack because you told me to _chill out_.”

“Okay okay I’m sorry please don’t hurt me-”

^^^

“There are his footprints!” Sokka exclaimed, pointing at the sand.

“So, he went for a midnight swim and never came back?” Suki asked, staring at the little footprints leading straight to the ocean.

“What if he was captured?” Katara suggested worriedly

“There’s no sign of a struggle,” I indicated the clean, purposeful footprints.

“I bet he ran away,” Toph claimed, crossing her arms.

“But he left behind his glider and Appa?” Sokka pointed out.

“Then what do you think happened, oh sleuthy one?” She shot back sharply.

“Well, it’s the day before a big epic battle. He’s obviously on an important spirit world adventure.” Sokka concluded proudly.

“Wouldn’t we be able to find his body, then?” Zuko mentioned.

“Look, we don’t need to think up conspiracy theories people, we need to find him,” I told the group, exasperated. “Let’s split up and search the island.”

“I call Zuko!” Toph shout as she ran to grip his arm, causing him to blush. Damnit, why did he have to look so cute when he was embarrassed?

^^^

I trudged back up the hill where the beach house was built and slumped onto the stairs with the others.

“No luck?” Sokka asked me, glumly.

“No, I’m hiding Aang in my pocket.” He rolled his eyes at me.

Katara suddenly jumped up, like she just noticed something. “Hey, has anyone seen Momo?”

“Oh no, I knew it was only a matter of time!” Sokka cried out, climbing into Appa’s mouth. “Appa ate Momo!”

“Get out of the bison’s mouth, Sokka,” Zuko and I said in unison, completely deadpan. And we thought Katara was the mom friend? Nah, Zuko and I are the tired parents of the group.

“So, what do you think we should do?” I asked Zuko, everyone looking up at him expectantly.

“Why are you looking at me?” He asked us, confused.

“Well, you’re kind of the expert on tracking Aang,” Sokka chirped. The rest of the group nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, if the play taught us anything, it’s that,” I chimed in, much to the delight of Toph and Suki, and much to the annoyance of the rest of the group.

^^^

“Soo, where are we going, Zuzu?” I drawl out, bored.

“Don’t call me that!” He snapped, not turning around. Wow, must’ve struck a chord.

“Whoa, sorry. I thought it was cute, didn’t know you were so against nicknames,” I pouted.

“It’s… not nicknames in general,” he told me, frustrated. “Azula would always call me that.”

“Couldn’t you also call her Zuzu?” Sokka pointed out. “I mean, you both have the ‘zu’ sound in your names.”

“He’s got a point!” Toph agreed. “ _Zuzu._ ”

“I’m never going to see the end of this, am I?” He groaned.

“No way, _Zuzu_ ,” I teased. “Oh look, are we going to that tavern?” I pointed to the building we were quickly approaching.

“Yeah.”

“But why?” Katara asked as we landed.

“There’s someone who’s going to help us find Aang in there,” Zuko explained, sliding off Appa.

I was about to slide down Appa’s tail like usual when I got an idea. “Hey, Sokka, watch this, I’m gonna prank Zuko,” I whispered, crawling to the edge of the saddle near where Zuko was waiting for us.

“I’m always down to prank Zuko,” Sokka said, very maliciously.

“Hey Zuko! Catch me!” I yelled, jumping off the side of the saddle. Before I could hit the ground, I felt Zuko catch me.

“Why do you keep doing that!?” He exclaimed, now holding me bridal-style.

“Because it’s funny, and you always catch me,” I smirked, ruffling his hair.

He suddenly matched the smile I had on my face.

“Oh no, no no no no no, put me down! Put me down this instant!” I shrieked as Zuko started carrying me to a river to our left.

With a splash, I landed unceremoniously in the water. “Owwwww, you’re mean,” I whined, crawling onto the sand, seeing a very smug Zuko and the rest of the Gaang laughing at my defeat. “Zuzu, did you forget I’m a waterbender? Throwing a waterbender in a river is not a smart move,” I smiled as Zuko’s face fell.

“Yeah, get his a-” Toph started chanting before being cut off by Suki.

“Hey, don’t we have an Avatar to find? This is kind of a ticking-clock deal,” Suki interrupted as I was chasing Zuko in circles around Appa.

“Fine, you’re right,” I sighed, giving Zuko a rest and using my bending to pull out the water from my hair and clothes. “Let’s go!”

^^^

We were in the tavern, watching a pretty lady with black hair beating up some people in the bar.

“Hey, isn’t that the June lady with the big mole?” Sokka asked Zuko.

“Mole? Her skin is flawless,” Suki pointed out.

“No, like a big animal,” Sokka corrected. “Wait, didn’t she help you track us down and attack us?”

“Yeah, back in the good old’ days,” Zuko mumbled, walking over towards the woman, who had just finished fighting the patrons for whatever reason.

“Oh great, it’s Prince Pouty. Where’s your creepy uncle?” June asked, not seeming interested in his answer.

“He’s my uncle, and he’s not here right now,” Zuko said through gritted teeth.

June looked up at our group. “Seems like you made up with your girlfriend,” she commented.

“She’s not his girlfriend!”

“I’m not his girlfriend!”  
“She’s not my girlfriend!”

Katara, Zuko and I all said all yelled at the same time.

“Okay, jeez, I was just teasing,” June rolled her eyes.

“I heard that,” Toph whispered to me.

“You heard _nothing_ , Toph!” I hissed, shushing her.

“Heard what?” Sokka asked, a smug look on his face.

“Nothing!” I squeaked. “C’mon, they’re heading to the door, we’re going to be left behind.” I hurriedly said, trying to change the subject and spare my dignity.


	9. Sozin's Comet (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Gaang encounters Old People Camp and make their plans for the upcoming battles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is a little short, I'm using this as a sort of intermittent chapter, I think there will be two more left until the story is over!! (I might add an epilogue tho) Ah!! Thank you all so so much for all the support, it really brightens my day. Hope you all enjoy!

It was either in the middle of the night or very early in the morning, and we were at what was left of the walls of Ba Sing Se. June had just broken the news to us that Aang doesn’t exist, which I still can’t wrap my head around, but we then decided to track Iroh to get his help. I had heard so many great things about him from Zuko, and to be honest I was looking forward to trying some of his famous tea.

“It’s been a long day,” Zuko announced, sliding off Appa. “Let’s camp and start our search again at dawn.” He looked up at me expectantly.

“What is it?” I asked with an innocent smile, peeking over the edge of the saddle.

“Aren’t you going to jump on me and make me catch you?” He grumbled.

“What!” I feigned surprise, turning to grab the bag with my tent and supplies. “I would never do such a thing- catch!” I yelled the last part, throwing the bag overboard.

He did, by reflex. I chuckled as I jumped down. “Why thank you,” I said, grabbing my stuff. “In exchange, I’ll put up your tent, I know you always have trouble setting it up yourself.”

He stuttered in protest but I simply picking up his tent from the ground and started walking. “You’ve only been searching for Aang for three years, your Majesty. I’ve been roughing since you were born!”

“I’m three months older than you,” Zuko pointed out.

“I said what I said,” I teased, as a ring of fire suddenly popped up around the clearing we were using.

“Well, look who’s here!” an old man snorted. He was one of four grandpa-looking guys who were surrounding us.

“Bumi!” Katara and Sokka ran up to him, leaving the rest of us confused.

“Master Pakku,” Katara greeted, bowing.

“Bowing to an old master is respectful, but how about a hug, for your new grandfather?” Said the man who Katara addressed.

“Who are these guys? I only know the Fire Nation sword guy,” I whispered to Toph, confused.

“Beats me,” she hissed back as Suki shrugged.

Katara and Sokka introduced all four old masters, and we explained our business in Ba Sing Se. As the warm colors of a sunrise danced across the sky, we were led to “Old People Camp.”

^^^

“Are you okay?” I approached Zuko, who was sitting in front of his uncle’s tent.

“No, I'm not okay. My uncle hates me, I know it,” He mumbled defeatedly. I sat down next to him. “He loved and supported me in every way he could, and I still turned against him. How can I even face him?”

“Zuko. You literally burned me, and I forgave you.”

“Yeah, what does that have anything to do with this? I still don’t even know why you did, what I did to you was unforgivable.”

“Because I knew you were genuinely sorry. I knew that it was an accident. And your uncle knows you didn’t mean to do what you did. You were manipulated by your father for 13 years, and then by your sister for another three. I’d say you turned out pretty great given the circumstances,” I said with a smile.

I hugged him around the neck and whispered in his ear, “Now go and talk to him. Because sitting on the dirt is uncomfortable.”

I was happy to see I was able to make him laugh. I stood and extended my hand for him to grab, pulling him up. 

“You know, we should get you a haircut when this is all over,” I giggled, brushing his hair out of his eyes.

“No way, the last time I let someone touch my hair is when Iroh gelled it down into a middle part.”

“Hmm, maybe we don’t need Iroh after all.”

^^^

We were sitting around a fire in the morning, all sipping Iroh’s tea, discussing our plans for the upcoming events.

“So, Aang still hasn’t showed up, which is an issue-” I started to say, before being interrupted.

“Wait, I don’t think I’ve seen you before,” Iroh cut me off. “I apologize for interrupting, but what is your name?”

“Oh, I forgot we hadn’t met. I’m Rin, nice to meet you,” I tried bowing like the Fire Nation, but got the left and right hands confused, which Zuko pointed out. “Long story short, I’m originally from a Southern Water Tribe, but it was raided to the point of extinction. I was kidnapped for being a water bender, and ended up stowing away on the same Fire Nation ship that the gang ended up capturing. So, here I am!”

“That is quite the life,” Iroh said. “I’m sorry for what the Fire Nation has taken from you, something I often find myself feeling.”

“Well, unless you’re the Southern Raiders, I don’t think I have any qualms with you,” I said optimistically. “We’ve all probably done some things we’re not proud of, but we’re here now, on the right side of history,” I said, subtly nudging Zuko, earning a slight smile from him. “But tangent aside, we really should figure out what to do before Sozin’s Comet comes.”

“Sozin's Comet is arriving, and our destinies are upon us. Aang will face the Fire Lord. When I was a boy, I had a vision that I would one day take Ba Sing Se. Only now do I see that my destiny is to take it _back_ from the Fire Nation, so the Earth Kingdom can be free again,” Iroh recalled.

“That's why you gathered the members of the White Lotus,” Suki realized.

“Yes,” Iroh confirmed. “Zuko, you must return to the Fire Nation, so that when the Fire Lord falls, you can assume the throne and restore peace and order. But Azula will be there, waiting for you.”

“I can handle Azula,” he said, nearly growling.

“Not alone! You'll need help,” Iroh reminded him.

“You're right. Katara, Rin, how would you like to help me put Azula in her place?”

“Our pleasure,” I said with a smirk.

“What about us?” Sokka asked. “What is our destiny today?”

“What do you think it is?” Iroh responded.

“I think that, even though we don't know where Aang is, we need to do everything we can to stop the airship fleet,” Sokka said.

“And that means when Aang does face the Fire Lord, we'll be right there if he needs us!” Toph added.

“Then I think we have a plan,” I said with a smile.


	10. Sozin's Comet (Part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The finale of the season takes places- Aang is still missing, Iroh and the White Lotus go to take back Ba Sing Se, Toph, Suki, and Sokka go to delay the airships, and Zuko, Katara, and Rin face Azula.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm sorry i'm sorry i'm sorry i'm sorry i'm sorry i'm sorry i'm sorry i'm sorry i'm sorry i'm sorry i'm sorry i'm sorry i'm sorry i'm sorry i'm sorry i'm sorry i'm sorry i'm sorry i'm sorry i'm sorry it's been WAY too long and I hate that I keep procrasinating writing this especially so close to the ending, but I got this chapter out, which was the big hurdle for me. I don't do well with writing action or fighting scenes, so I was putting this one off. But hopefully you all enjoy! (Many pieces of dialogue in this chapter was taken verbatim from Avatar: The Last Airbender. I do not own nor claim to own these pieces of dialogue, the plot, or any characters besides Rin!) Also I'd like to say thank you to everyone reading, leaving kudos and comments, and bookmarking this story! I truly can't emphasize how much it brightens my day, you all inspire me to keep going with this story!

My eyes trained on the bright, sunset-colored sky, I nervously tapped my fingers on the edge of Appa’s saddle. We were heading out to fight Azula, and I did not feel ready in the slightest. A voice in my head reminded me of all the training I’ve done- in the styles of three out of the four nations, no less, thanks to Zuko, Katara, Suki, and my parents. But I couldn’t help but feel anxious. I only had a few weeks to practice using my bending offensively, and something tells me hand-to-hand combat won’t be Azula’s style. Zuko had talked with me about her before- a firebending prodigy, a master of lightning bending, and absolutely ruthless. Her bending was her strong suit, and I was pretty much the opposite.

I continued thrumming my fingers against the fabric of the saddle as I heard Katara’s voice behind me.

“Nervous?” She asked.

I turned my head to answer but I noticed she was directing the question to Zuko. I just sighed lightly in relief; I wasn’t really in the mood for small talk right about now. When Zuko didn’t respond, she continued.

“Zuko, don’t worry, we can take Azula.”

“It's not her I'm worried about. I'm worried about Aang. What if he doesn't have the guts to take out my father? What if he loses?” He retorted.

“Aang won't lose. He's gonna come back,” she said, relatively confident.

“He has to,” I murmured.

^^^

We landed in the plaza courtyard, and I laid my eyes on who I assumed to be Azula for the first time. She resembled Zuko shockingly, with the same piercing amber eyes, face shape, and skin tone. They could’ve been twins if she wasn’t younger. Her hair looked sloppily cut, her posture off, and there was a crazed look in her eyes. She was unsettled, that’s for sure. For a moment, I pitied the young girl. But I shook off the feeling when I remembered the more recent stories about her I was told.

The unhinged princess hadn’t spotted us yet, but the Fire Sage who was supposed to be crowning her did, and he halted the coronation.

“What are you waiting for?” She snapped. “Do it!”

“Sorry, but you’re not going to become Fire Lord today,” Zuko announced, jumping off of Appa. “I am.”

I heard Azula cackle at Zuko’s statement as I jumped down from Appa as well, landing firmly on my feet.

“You’re hilarious,” Azula said with more maniacal laughter.

“And you’re going down,” Katara said, joining us on the solid ground. I waved at Appa to fly to a safe distance.

The Fire Sage tried to continue the ritual, but Azula stopped him.

“Wait. You want to be Fire Lord? Fine. Let's settle this. Just you and me, brother. The showdown that was always meant to be. Agni Kai!”

“You’re on.”

“What are you doing? She's playing you. She knows she can't take us both, so she's trying to separate us,” Katara sensibly pointed out.

“I know. But I can take her this time. There's something off about her; I can't explain it but she's slipping. And this way, no one else has to get hurt,” he reasoned.

As he started walking towards the point opposite to Azula in the courtyard, I bite my tongue, trying to keep myself from saying something I’d regret. But my emotions got the better of me.

“Zuko!” I called out, making him turn around and pause.

I ran up to him and tackled him into a hug.

“Zuko, if you die, I promise you, Agni as my witness, I _will_ kill you,” I whispered to him.

“I’ll try,” he chuckled softly before turning to get into his position. I rushed off to the opposite corner to Katara and got into my waterbending stance.

“I’m sorry it had to end this way, _brother_.”

“No you’re not.”  


The scene was… _awesome_. In the biblical sense, it was absolutely awe-inspiring. Even my tremendous worry for Zuko wasn’t enough to completely block out the view of the clashing colors, the blue against orange, how brightly the fire burned, how high it climbed. Zuko always would tell me how much better Azula was at firebending than him. Despite this, I could tell he was gaining the upper hand, whether that be due to her declining mental state, or Zuko’s enlightenment from the dragons, or something completely different.

“What, no lightning today? What’s the matter, afraid I’ll redirect it?” Zuko taunted, assuming a stance not too different to waterbending.

“Oh, I’ll show you _lightning_!” Azula roared, hastily and messily gearing up to lightning bend.

I was this close to losing it, I was so worried about Zuko. What in the world was he talking about, redirect it? It’s lightning, can someone even do that? Why did he have to provoke her like that?

As I was lost in thought, I almost didn’t realize she had changed her aim to- _me._

Time seemed to slow.

The blue light arced and curved in my direction.

I shielded my face on instinct, as if that would do anything.

But when I didn’t feel anything, I uncovered my face.

“ _Zuko_!” I cried, dashing over to him.

“You know new girl, I’d really rather our family physician look after dear Zuko!” The princess said in a shrill, unsteady voice.

I frantically pulled Zuko’s body away from her, heaving him towards me by under his arms. In attempts to go faster, I stumbled over my own feet and fell backwards, dropping him in the process.

“Oh Zuzu, you don’t look so well!” Azula practically shrieked, sending blasts of fire our way.

“Get away, you- you psychotic _witch_!” I yelled back, throwing shards of ice at her with such fury and rage that the action likely would pull my shoulder. That didn’t matter in the moment, though.

“Hey Azula, over here!” Katara called her from the other corner of the courtyard, drawing her away from us. I shot her a quick grateful smile, causing the tears I didn’t know I was shedding to cascade down my face faster.

I turned my focus to Zuko. His body was twitching from the shock. I held onto his shoulder to steady him, flinching at a shock that coursed through his body, shocking me in the process. I tried to clear my head and bent some water towards me, looking for the spot where he was struck. I found it on his chest, an explosion-shaped burn mark. I pulled the water to his skin and started the healing process.

“Please, please, please wake up idiot,” I sobbed, my tears mixing with the river water I was using. As the glowing around my hands faded, I saw Zuko’s eyelids flutter open.

“Oh, thank Agni,” I breathed, collapsing over him.

“I’m okay, it’s alright,” he said, sitting up and pulling me into a hug. “It looks like Katara was able to handle Azula, by the way.”

We turned to see Azula in chains, tied to the drains, screeching and writhing as she desperately breathes fire. It was a pitiful and sad sight to see, for sure. She was so young, all she needed was someone to talk to. A therapist, namely.

“It’s over,” Katara said, tired but happy.

“Our leg of the race, at least,” I said with a weak smile, still leaning on Zuko.


	11. An Update

Hey everyone, I'm so so so sorry this isn't a new chapter. I recently started highschool and lemme tell y'all- it's kicking me butt sm. It's so much more work than I'm used to, and on top of that I got pretty sick for two weeks. I feel so bad I've abandoned this for over a month, but in a week or two I have some time off school, so in exchange for my lack of updating I'll combine the last 2 chapters into one mega-chapter to end this book. Thank you all for hanging on for this long and putting up with my inconsistent schedule, your comments and support always make my day! 🥺🤍 stay safe out there y'all! <3


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